Typing apparatus for business machines and the like



Feb. 5, 1957 N 2,780,165

TYPING APPARATUS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed 061'.- 6, 1955Sheets-Sheet 1 QWJM Feb. 5, 195? E. KUHN 2,780,165

TYPING APPARATUS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed 061.. 6, 19533 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/GE EUGEP/ KuH h 37 E. KUHN TYPING APPARATUS FORBUSINESS MACHINES AND THE LIKE Fild Oct. 6, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENI'OP. 'EUGEP/ KUHD United States Patent TYPING APPARATUS FORBUSINESS MACHINES AND THE LIKE Eugen Kuhn, Altoberndorf (Neckar),Germany, assignor to Olympia Werke Aktiengesellschaft, a joint-stockcompany Application October 6, 1953, Serial No. 384,369 Claims priority,applicafion Germany October 10, 1952 5 Claims. (Cl. 101-96) The presentinvention relates to business machines.

More particularly, the present invention relates to that portion of abusiness machine which types numbers and the like on a strip of paper.

Known business machines have several disadvantages at the portionthereof which types characters on a strip of paper. For example, suchbusiness machines usually have a hood which is removable or turnable toan inoperative position in order to uncover the ink ribbon and theguides therefor, but even then it is very difficult to work easily withthe ribbon in order to change the same, for example, because the ribbonis in a very confined space. It is usually necessary to use some sort oftools in order to thread the ribbon through its guides because of theinaccessibility of the latter, and very often foreign bodies becomelocated in the machine when such bodies, in the form of pencils or thelike, are used by the operator to avoid getting ink on his fingers.Also, it is very difiicult to gain access to the type members forcleaning the latter, or the type members must be raised throughactuation of the type operating mechanism in order to place the typemembers in a suitable position for cleaning. Usually, the platen islocated too close to the type members to permit proper cleaning of thelatter.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the abovedrawbacks by providing a simple arrangement which permits the platen,ribbon, and paper, to be moved to an inoperative position located at asuflicient distance from the type members to afford easy access to thetype members as well as to the platen, ink ribbon, and paper.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means forreleasably locking the platen, ribbon, and paper in an operativeposition adjacent to the type members.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a means foractuating the platen, to move the paper, and for moving the ink ribboneven when these parts are in their inoperative position distant from thetype members.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a means foradjusting the elevation of the platen and the other parts which aremovable toward and away from the type members.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a papercarrying means which is capable of releasing the platen ribbon and papersupporting structure from the structure which carries the type members.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide relativelysimple and ruggedly constructed parts capable of accomplishing all ofthe above objects and capable of giving reliable service for a longperiod of time.

With the above objects in view, the present invention mainly consists ofa business machine which includes a stationary support means carryingthe type members of the machine. A movable supportmeans is connected iceto the stationary support means for movement between an operativeposition located adjacent to the type members and an inoperativeposition distant from the type members. A platen is turnably mounted onthe movable support means and is located opposite the type members whenthe movable support means is in its operative position. An ink ribboncarrying and guiding means is mounted on the movable support means forlocating a ribbon between the type members and platen. Also a papercarrying and guiding means is mounted on the movable support means forguiding a strip of paper to an outer surface portion of the platen whichfaces the type members when the movable support means is in itsoperative position. Thus, when the movable support means is moved to itsinoperative position, the platen, ink ribbon carrying and guiding means,and paper carrying and guiding means move with the movable support meansaway from the type members to give free access to the type members aswell as to the structure carried by the movable support means.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of that part of abusiness machine which includes the structure of the present invention,part of this structure being shown in solid lines in the operativeposition thereof and in dot-dash lines in the inoperative positionthereof;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the entire business machine andshows in dot-dash lines parts of the machine in their inoperativeposition; 7

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevational view, on an enlarged scale, ofa linkage means constructed in accordance with the present invention andshown in two positions in solid and dot-dash lines, respectively;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of anadjusting means for adjusting the elevation of parts of the structure ofthe invention; and

Fig. 5 shows the structure of Fig. 4 in a different position thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the business machineof the invention includes a cover 1 fastened over the machine frame andforming with the latter a stationary support means. A movable supportmeans 2, 3 is movably connected to this stationary support means andincludes the frame members 3 which are either enclosed by the rearmember 2 and connected to the latter or are simply connected to thisrear member 2, this movable support means 2, 3 filling a space at therear end of cover 1 of the stationary support means and conforminggenerally to the shape of the machine, as is evident from Fig. 2. Theframe members 3 may be in the form of side plates forming opposite sidewalls of the movable support means and being pivotally mounted adjacenttheir bottom ends on the pivot bar 10 carried by the stationary supportpins in a manner described below, these side plates 3 being fixedlyconnected at their rear edges, for example, to the curved plate 2 whichextends laterally across the rear of the machine in the mannerillustrated.

The side plates 3 support between themselves a carrier 4 for an inkribbon, this carrier 4 being turnably mounted on a shaft supported bythe plates 3, for example. A guide means in the form of transverse rods5 and 5a carried by plates 3 is provided to guide an ink ribbon carriedby the turnable ink ribbon carrying means 4 to a position locatedbetween the type members 12, carried by the stationary support means 1and actuated in any suitable known manner not forming part of thepresent invention, and the platen 6 which is turnably carried by theside plates 3 and located opposite the type members 12 so that thelatter may cooperate with the ink ribbon to type characters on. a stripof paper located in part against an outer surface portion of the platen6 which faces the type members 12 when the movable support means 2, 3 isin its operative position located adjacent to the type members 12, asshown in solid lines in Fig. l. The platen 6 is supported in rollerhearings in the side walls 3 of the movable support means and has alength corresponding to the entire width of the movable support means,suitable protective caps being provided at opposite sides of the movablesupport means over the bearings of platen 6 to cover and thereby protectthese hearings.

A paper carrying means also is mounted on the movable support means 2,3, this paper carrying means being in the form of a pair of levers 7respectively mounted for turning movement on the side plates 3, at theouter side faces'thereof, and carrying at their free ends a support fora roll of paper 8, the rear wall 2 of the movable support means beingformed with a cutout into which the roll of paper partially extends andthe side plates 3 of the movable support means carrying a guide means 9for guiding a strip of paper from the roll 8 to the platen 6, suitablepressure rollers or the like engaging the platen to hold the strip ofpaper against the same in a conventional manner.

An adjusting means 11 is provided to adjust the elevation of the movablesupport means and the parts carried thereby with respect to thestationary support means so that the platen 6 as well as the ink ribbonand paper may be located in a position to properly receive impressionsfrom the type members 12. The details of this adjusting means are shownmost clearly on an enlarged scale in Figs. 4 and which show one of thestationary side walls of the stationary support means of the machine.Two such stationary side walls are provided on opposite sides of themachine and are respectively formed with elongated cutouts extendingupwardly toward the top of the machine and through which the pivot bar10 extends, as is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Thus, this pivot bar 10 ismovable in the cutouts, through which it extends, upwardly anddownwardly toward and away from the top of the machine, respectively.Each of these side walls of the stationary support means is also formedwith a second cutout located over the pivot bar 10 and having a bottomedge 110. A pair of hangar members 11a respectively extend along theinner faces of the stationary side walls and these hangar members extendbeneath and engage the pivot bar 10 so as to carry the latter, exceptwhen the pivot bar 10 engages the bottom ends of the side wall cutoutsthrough which this bar extends, the parts being shown in this latterposition in Fig. 5 while Fig. 4 shows the bar 10 elevated above thebottom ends of the side wall cutouts through which the bar 10 extends.

The adjusting means includes a pin extending turnably through eachhangar 11a and having an eccentric head 1112 located in the upper cutoutof each stationary side wall and engaging the bottom edge 110 of thiscutout. Thus, when the eccentric head 11b is turned, from the positionof Fig. 5 to that of Fig. 4, for example, the bar 10 and the movablesupport means carried thereby as well as the structure carried by themovable support means will all be moved upwardly, while when theeccentric head 11b is turned from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig.5, for example, the bar 10 is lowered together with all the partscarried thereby. As is evident from Figs. 4 and 5, the outer face of theeccentric head 11b is formed with a diametrical groove so that the heads11b at opposite sides of the machine may be turned with a screw driver.

The adjusting means further includes a screw member 11d extendingthrough a slot in each stationary side wall and threadedly engaging eachhangar member 1111 so that the cooperation of these screws and slotsguides the upward and downward movement of the hangar members, and atthe same time the screws 11b may be tightened to fix the hangar members11a in their adjusted position and may be loosened to permit theabove-described adjusting structure to be operated.

A releasable lock means is provided to releasably lock the movablesupport means in the operative position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1.This releasable lock means takes the form of a pair of pins 14 fixed,for example, to the above-mentioned stationary side walls of thestationary support means and a pair of levers 13 pivotally mountedbetween their ends on the side walls 3 of the movable support means,respectively, and having their left free end portions, as viewed in Fig.1, formed with cutouts in which the pins 14 are respectively located toreleasably lock the movable support means 2, 3 to the stationary supportmeans 1.

A spring means in the form of a spring 13b is connected to each lever 13to urge the left free end portion thereof, as viewed in Fig. 1, towardthe pins 14 so that the spring or springs 13b maintain the levers 13 inreleasable engagement with the pins 14. As is apparent from Fig. l, theside walls 3 of the movable support means are provided with arcuateslots through which a pin fixed to the end 13a of lever 13 extends, anda pair of springs 13b may be connected to each of these pins and to pinsfixed to the inner faces of the side walls 3, or, if desired, a singlerod may extend through these arcuate slots and be fixed to the ends 13aof the levers 13 and a second rod may extend between and be fixed to theside walls 3 so that a single spring 1312 may be connected to these tworods to act on both of the levers 13.

As is shown in Fig. 1, the paper carrying means 7 is turnable upwardlyfrom the solid line position thereof to the dotted line position wherethe levers 7 extend almost vertically upward, and it will be seen thatthese levers 7 turn through a predetermined path where the actuating endportions 13a of levers 13 are located, so that the turning of levers 7upwardly causes these levers to engage ends 13a of levers 13 and turnthe latter against the action of the spring means 13b to release thereleasable lock means. After such release, the movable support meanswith all of the parts carried thereby may be easily turned about thepivot bar 10 to the dot-dash line position shown in Fig. l, the movablesupport means engaging a stop 1a of the stationary support means whichlimits the movement of the movable support means away from the typemembers 12 to an inoperative position.

As is evident from Fig. 1, when the movable support means and thestructure carried thereby are in their inoperative position, the typemembers 12 are freely exposed so that they may be easily cleaned, and atthe same time the ink ribbon carrying means 4 and guide means 5, 5a arealso exposed and easily accessible, and the same is true of the paperguide means 9 and platen 6 as well as the parts associated therewith.When the movable support means is turned back to its operative position,the curved left end portions of levers 13, as viewed in Fig. 1, ridealong pins 14 to automatically engage the latter.

A moving means is provided to periodically advance both the ink ribbonand the platen, so that the paper will advance with periodic turning ofthe platen. This moving means takes the form, for example, of a ratchetwheel 25 fixed to the ink ribbon carrying means 4 for turning movementtherewith and a pawl 22 pivotally mounted at 21 on a link 20 forperiodically engaging and turning the ratchet wheel 25 and the inkribbon carrying means 4 to advance the ink ribbon periodically in thisway. The link 20 is pivotally mounted between its ends on a rod 23fixedly carried, by the stationary side walls and is pivotally linked toa member 20a forming a moving means which is connected in a known way tothe platen for periodically turning the latter so that different linesof type will be provided on the paper strip. Thus, turning of the link20 about its pivot 23 simultaneously actuates both the ribbon and theplaten. This link 20 has an outer free end 24 which, in a known way,elfects reversal of a direction of movement of the ribbon as soon as theribbon has moved off from a ribbon carrying roll sufiiciently to pull anactuating member which sets the parts in a position to be actuated byend 24 of link 20 to reverse the direction of movement of the ribbonwhen the link 20 turns about the pivot 23.

This turning of link 20 is effected by a linkage means which includes abell crank lever 16 turnable about a stationary pivot shaft 15 andconnected in an unillustrated manner to the main operating shaft of themachine, this lever 16 corresponding, for example, to the lever 84 shownin Fig. 4 of U. S. Patent 1,876,065 and being linked at 17 to anelongated member 1817, shown most clearly in Fig. 3. A spring may beconnected to the opening 15a of lever 16 for urging the latter to itsrest position, and the opening 16b of lever 16 is connected in a knownway to a lever which actuates the structure for controlling theelevation of the ribbon.

As is shown most clearly in Fig. 3, a second elongated member 18aoverlaps a considerable portion of the length of elongated member 18band is linked at its free end to the link 20 through the medium of apivot pin 19. The elongated member 18b is formed with a pair of slotsthrough which a pair of pins respectively extend, these pins being fixedto the elongated member 18:: and having heads wider than the slots andslidably engaging the side face of member 18b distant from member 18a sothat these pins cooperate with the slots to form a guide means to permitthe free ends of members 18a and 18b to move toward and away from eachother so that these members 13a and 18b form a link interconnecting thelinks 16 and 20 and being of an automatically adjustable length. Aspring 180 is fixed to the members 18a and 18b to urge the free endportions thereof toward each other.

As is apparent from Figs. 1 and 3, the movable support means turns aboutthe pivot 10, while the linkage means is turnable about the stationarypivot 15 and includes a link 20 connected to the pivot 23 which turnswith the movable support means about the pivot 10. The linkage means ofthe invention can adapt itself to both positions of the movable supportmeans, this adapting being provided by the members 18a and 18b whichautomatically change their length, as shown in the solid and dot-dashlines of Fig. 3, as the movable support means moves between itsoperative and inoperative positions. Thus, with the structure of theinvention it is possible to actuate the linkage means 16, 18, 20 bothwhen the movable support means is in its operative position, shown insolid lines in Fig. 1, and when the movable support means is in itsinoperative position, shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1, so that withthe structure of the invention the operator may advance the platen andribbon when the movable support means is in its operative position andwhen the movable support means is in its inoperative position.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofbusiness machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied intyping arrangement for business machines, it is not intended to belimited to the details shown, since various modifications and structuralchanges may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of thepresent invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a business machine, in combination, stationary support means; typemembers carried by said stationary support means; movable support meansconnected to said stationary support means for movement between anoperative position located adjacent to said type members and aninoperative position distant from said type members;

a platen turnably mounted on said movable support means and beinglocated opposite said type members when said movable support means is insaid operative position thereof; ink ribbon carrying and guiding meansmounted on said movable support means for locating a ribbon between saidtype members and platen; paper carrying means for carrying paper to beguided to said platen, said paper carrying means being mounted on saidmovable support means for movement along a predetermined path withrespect to said movable support means; paper guiding means mounted onsaid movable support means for guiding a strip of paper to an outersurface portion of said platen facing said type members when saidmovable support means is in said operative position thereof; andreleasable lock means mounted on said stationary and movable supportmeans for releasably locking the same to each other when said movablesupport means is in said operative position thereof, said releasablelock means having an actuating portion adapted to be actuated forreleasing said lock means and located in said predetermined path so thatwhen said paper carrying means is moved along said path said lock meanswill be actuated to release said movable support means from saidstationary support means, whereby said movable support means may then bemoved to said inoperative position thereof to locate said platen, inkribbon carrying and guiding means, paper carrying means, and paperguiding means together with said movable support means distant from saidtype members to give free access to said type members as well as to thestructure carried by said movable support means.

2. In a business machine as defined in claim 1, said paper carryingmeans including a first lever turnably mounted on said movable supportmeans for turning movement along said predetermined path, and saidreleasable lock means including a pin fixed to said stationary supportmeans, a second lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on saidmovable support means, having one end portion formed with a cutout inwhich said pin is located when said stationary and movable support meansare releasably locked to each other, and having an opposite end portionforming said actuating portion of said releasable lock means and beinglocated in said path, and spring means operatively connected to saidlever for urging said one end portion thereof toward said pin and saidopposite end portion thereof in a predetermined direction, so that whensaid first lever is turned in a direction opposite to said predetermineddirection, said first lever engages said second lever and moves thelatter against the action of said spring means to separate said one endportion of said second lever from said pin to thereby release saidmovable support means from said stationary support means.

3. In a business machine, in combination, stationary support means; typemembers carried by said stationary support means; movable support meansconnected to said stationary support means for movement between anoperative position located adjacent to said type members and aninoperative position distant from said type members; a platen turnablymounted on said movable support means and being located opposite saidtype members when said movable support means is in said operativeposition thereof; ink ribbon carrying and guiding means mounted on saidmovable support means for locating a ribbon between said type membersand platen; paper carrying and guiding means mounted on said movablesupport means for guiding a strip of paper to an outer surface portionof said platen facing said type members when said movable support meansis in said operative position thereof, whereby when said movable supportmeans is moved to said inoperative position thereof said platen, inkribbon carrying and guiding means, and paper carrying and guiding meanswill move with said movable support means away from said type members togive free access to said type members as well as to the structurecarried by said movable support means; moving means mounted on saidmovable support means and being operatively connected to said ink ribboncarrying and guiding means and .said platen for periodically moving saidink ribbon carrying and guiding means and said platen to periodicallyadvance a ribbon carried by said ribbon carrying and guiding means and apaper engaging said platen; and linkage means operatively connected tosaid moving means in both positions of said movable support means foractuating said moving means in both positions of said movable supportmeans, said linkage means including at least two links which are spacedfrom each other, a pair of elongated members overlapping each otheralong their lengths and respectively having free non-overlapping endportions respectively connected pivotally to said two links, springmeans connected to said elongated members for urging said free endportions thereof toward each other, and guide means engaging saidelongated members to guide the same for movement along their lengthswith respect to each other, whereby said free end portions of saidelongated members may be located at different distances from each otherto permit said linkage to operate in both positions of said movablesupport means.

4. In a business machine as defined in claim 3, one of said elongatedmembers being formed with a pair of spaced elongated slots extendingalong the length of said one elongated member, said guide meansincluding a pair of pins respectively extending through said slots,being fixed to the other of said elongated members, and each having ahead larger than the width of said slots and located opposite that faceof said one elongated member which is distant from said other elongatedmember.

5. In a business machine, in combination, stationary support means; typemembers carried by said stationary support means; movable support meansconnected to said stationary support means for movement between anoperative position located adjacent to said type members and aninoperative position distant from said type members; a platen turnablymounted on said movable support means and being located opposite saidtype members when said movable support means is in said operativeposition thereof; ink ribbon carrying and guiding means mounted on saidmovable support means for locating a ribbon between said type membersand platen; paper carrying and guiding means mounted on said movablesupport means for guiding a strip of paper to an outer surface portionof said platen facing said type members when said movable support meansis in said operative position thereof, whereby when said movable supportmeans is moved to said inoperative position thereof said platen, inkribbon carrying and guiding means, and paper carrying and guiding meanswill move with said movable support means away from said type members togive free access to said type members as well as to the structurecarried by said movable support means; and adjusting means operativelyconnected to said movable support means for adjusting the elevationthereof and the structure carried thereby with respect to said typemembers when said movable support means is in said operative positionthereof, said stationary support means having a pair of side walls eachof which is formed with a first cutout extending toward the top of themachine and at least one of said side walls being formed with a secondcutout located above the first cutout thereof, said side walls formingpart of said adjusting means, and the latter also including an elongatedbar extending between said side walls and through said first cutoutsthereof so as to be movable up and down along said first cutouts, saidmovable support means being turnably carried by said bar for movementbetween said operative and inoperative positions, at least one hangarmember located alongside said one side wall and extending beneath andengaging said bar to carry the latter when said bar is located above thebottom ends of said first cutouts; a pin extending through said hangarmember and having an eccentric head located in said second cutout ofsaid one side wall and engaging an edge of the latter at said secondcutout so that turning of said pin raises or lowers said hangar memberand said bar and movable support means carried thereby; and releasablefixing means engaging said hangar member and said one side wall toreleasably fix said hangar member to said one side wall after adjustmentof said hangar member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,182,999 Fuller May 16, 1916 1,289,762 Hoggson Dec. 31, 1918 1,849,921Green Mar. 15, 1932 2,230,682 Fuller Feb. 4, 1941 2,264,855 PasinskiDec. 2, 1941 2,361,662 Spurlino Oct. 31, 1944

